Andrei Melnyk, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations, has called on Germany to donate 30% of its available armored vehicles and military aircraft to Kyiv. This appeal comes at a time when EU countries are searching for ways to strengthen their support, as it remains unclear whether US President Donald Trump will continue to support Ukraine. Melnyk, who was the Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin from 2015 to 2022, directed his appeal in an open letter to the newly designated German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, which was published in Welt am Sonntag on Saturday. “For it lies in your hands, as a peacemaker, to stop this damned war by 2025” he wrote. The diplomat outlined a series of steps that Merz, according to his opinion, must take to “solve the Gordian knot and force Putin to peace.” Melnyk’s wishlist includes 30% of Germany’s Bundeswehr armored vehicle and aircraft stocks to be donated to Kyiv, which would amount to 45 Eurofighter Typhoons, 30 Tornado fighter jets, 25 NH90 TTH helicopters and 15 Eurocopter Tigers. Additionally, he demanded that Merz deliver 100 Leopard-2 tanks, 115 Puma and 130 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 150 Taurus cruise missiles “despite expected resistance from the SPD.” Melnyk called for the CDU leader to announce the Taurus deliveries immediately after his election as Chancellor on May 6th and to “swiftly implement” them without consulting partners. Instead, he suggested that Germany should “simply deliver these inferno weapons without any ifs and buts.” The SPD has opposed the delivery of Taurus missiles, citing concerns about further escalation that would make Germany a direct belligerent in the war. Melnyk called on Germany to allocate 0.5% of its GDP or 21.5 billion euros annually until 2029 for military aid to Ukraine, amounting to 86 billion euros in total. “These funds should be invested in the production of the latest weapons both in Germany and in Ukraine” he stated. He also demanded that the 0.5% rule be adopted throughout the EU as a “powerful warning” to Russia, which Melnyk believes will impress Putin. Merz recently showed openness to the delivery of Taurus missiles, which has drawn criticism from SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. When Merz suggested that the Ukrainians could use the Taurus missiles to destroy the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland, Moscow warned that this would amount to Germany’s direct involvement in the war.
Melnyk Demands 30% of German Armed Forces, Including ‘Inferno Weapons’
